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Date: 10/5/2021
On Hulu: “Nine Strangers”
I have to admit I am always apprehensive about mini-series on Netflix and Hulu. The reason largely rests with the fact I’ve watched too many of them only to end hours of commitment with an unsatisfying cliffhanger ending.
hat lack of narrative closure has been compounded by the fact that often either streaming giant – Netflix and Hulu – doesn’t elect to continue the series with a second season.
The most recent example was the superhero drama “Jupiter’s Legacy” on Netflix. After enduring the first season, I read the show was not renewed for another season. That’s means that no complete story was told – what a waste of my time.
So, I started watching “Nine Strangers” with a bit of trepidation. Would this be a complete story or would it end with the cliffhanger?
The mini-series, based on the best-selling book of the same name, revolves around an exclusive spa at which people just don’t relax, but are healed of their mental and/or emotional problems by a somewhat mysterious Russian named Masha, played by Nicole Kidman.
The group whose stories we watch include Carmel (Regina Hall), a woman trying to deal with the breakup of her marriage; The Marconi family (Michael Shannon, Asher Keddie and Grace Van Patten) who are grieving from a suicide; a journalist who has left his partner (Luke Evans); a young married couple whose union is in trouble (Samara Weaving and Melvin Gregg); a best-selling romance novelist whose life is at the crossroads (Melissa McCarthy); and a former football player who is now addicted to opioids (Bobby Cannavale).
All of these characters have back-stories filled with some substantial twists and turns. Part of the fun of this series is finding out what the real story is for the characters.
Naturally the most enigmatic one is Masha, herself. A Russian who comes to this country and becomes a wealthy businesswoman, Masha was shot and officially died. She was brought back from death and the experience changed her life leading to Tranquillum House and her efforts to heal people.
As we see, though, her methods are somewhat unorthodox and perhaps illegal and that Masha needs some healing herself.
The best way to go into this series is cold. I’m not revealing much more. I enjoyed the drama, but will readily admit the ending of the series was a bit hard to take.
The ensemble cast is excellent and McCarthy and Cannavale stand out as two people who instantly loathe one another but soon start to realize their similarities. McCarthy is a fine dramatic actor and she shines here.
The nominal star of his group is Kidman and she has a Russian accent that drifts in and out. I’m not sure if it was by design or not but Kidman relies on a handful of facial expressions that seem to limit her performance.
If you’re looking for an interesting, if not at times improbable, drama give “Nine Strangers” a try.